Behind Washington’s latest contribution to Benin’s anti-trafficking efforts lies a quieter struggle that rarely makes headlines: the daily race to identify victims before they disappear into the shadows of an often invisible crime. The $250,000 package, officially handed over to Benin’s National Committee for the Fight against Trafficking in PersonsContinue Reading
The disappearance of veteran Nigerien journalist Moussa Kaka is not an isolated event. It is the latest symptom of a deeper, structural transformation of the media landscape in Niger since the July 2023 coup that brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power. Understanding what is happening requires moving beyond the headlinesContinue Reading
The hydrocarbon sector in Niger is caught in one of its most severe financial storms in years. At the centre of the turmoil sits a staggering debt: the Société Nationale des Produits Pétroliers (SONIDEP) now owes the Société de Raffinage de Zinder (SORAZ) a record 418 billion FCFA. That figureContinue Reading
Cameroon’s public debt stock reached 15,607 billion FCFA by the end of June 2026, representing 44.2% of GDP, up from 14,409 billion FCFA a year earlier, as the government continued to raise funds for infrastructure, budget financing and existing obligations, according to the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA). The increase stemsContinue Reading
The growing alignment between Lomé and Moscow is entering a new phase. Beyond the stated ambition of turning the port of Lomé into a transit platform for Russian goods bound for Togo and several Sahelian states, a broader realignment of the region’s commercial, logistical and strategic routes appears to beContinue Reading
A final evacuation to Paris and the end of a long magistracy Clément Atangana, who presided over Cameroon’s Constitutional Council, died in Paris on the morning of 4 October 2026, at the age of 85. He had been medically evacuated to France in the hope of receiving more advanced treatment,Continue Reading
Algeria’s state energy group Sonelgaz is extending its reach into West Africa, signing two agreements with Senegal’s national utility. The move is the latest step in a broader strategy that has already taken the company into Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania — and it reveals how Algiers is turningContinue Reading
Social Gabon’s first national day for retirees: the policy machinery behind the ceremony Libreville, Saturday 3 October 2026 – When Gabon staged its first National Day for Retirees and the Elderly on 1 October 2026, the ceremony at the Palais des Congrès Omar Bongo Ondimba looked like a tribute. LookContinue Reading
The Mistral, France’s amphibious helicopter carrier, is docked in Dakar from 2 to 6 October 2026. But this is no routine port call. For five days, French and Senegalese forces will conduct joint land and sea operations and share expertise. The visit comes just over a year after French troopsContinue Reading
The latest United Nations findings on the AFC/M23 campaign in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo reveal a pattern that goes well beyond battlefield confrontations. According to the report, operations ostensibly aimed at the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) have repeatedly translated into reprisals against civilians in the disputedContinue Reading
Benin’s economy expanded by 8.1% in 2025, and the momentum shows little sign of fading. Yet behind the headline growth lies a more consequential story: a deliberate, multi-year effort to reshape how the country raises, channels and deploys capital. What looks like a series of scattered financial instruments is, inContinue Reading
Benin Behind Benin’s $730 million AIIB pipeline: what the fine print reveals The indicative $730 million envelope agreed between Cotonou and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for 2027-2028 is less a done deal than a structured starting point — here is the context, the mechanics and the signals behind theContinue Reading